Kankuro followed her down the hall. "Is this where I cover my ears?"
Hinata sighed, though the joke was calming her nerves. She knocked on her sister's door.
"Go away, Neji-san," Hanabi called.
Hinata gave Kankuro a confused look and knocked again. "Hanabi-chan?"
The door flung open, making her jump. Hanabi jumped into her chest, making Hinata stumble. Kankuro's hand pressed her back to avoid running him into the wall.
Hinata heard her sister whimper on her shoulder as she tightened the hug. "Excuse me." Hinata stepped into Hanabi's room. Kankuro closed the door behind her to wait in the hall.
Hanabi cried in her chest until she stepped back to wipe her eyes was when she started to ask questions. "What are you doing here?"
"Finishing the marriage treaty," Hinata explained. "And I thought I would hand-deliver this." She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.
Hanabi took it, trying to wipe away more stubborn tears. "Wedding invitation?"
"We set a date that allows time, even some trouble in negotiations so that I could give you one in person," Hinata explained. "They aren't common in Suna, but I knew people here would appreciate them, so I made a few."
Hanabi sat down on her bed, shrinking into herself. "Neji…"
"Told me about your nightmare." Hinata smiled. "I don't know now why you would ever think I would abandon you like that and not even have you at my wedding." She sat down with her sister patting her knee reassuringly.
Hanabi's tears started again, and she buried her face into her sister's shoulder. Hinata took to petting her hair and rubbing her back.
Hinata stepped out of her sister's room quietly. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I'd rather not be present. Not a fan of children." Kankuro explained.
"She's hardly a child. She is not much younger than I am," Hinata explained, confused.
"Still a kid, no, thank you." Kankuro cringed. "When you and Temari have kids, don't ask me to babysit."
Hinata didn't want to think about children. She and Gaara had not talked about it, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to have any. She liked children, but her bloodline would be challenging to keep them unbranded, and she was sure Gaara would not be a fan of his children being oppressed in such a way. She wasn't sure he would even like children. So she had and would continue pushing the idea aside until it needed to be brought up.
"The next room we visit should be less emotional," Hinata knocked lightly on a door, waited for it to open, and smiled.
"Hinata-sama?" Neji asked disbelievingly.
"I'm here for negotiations," Hinata explained. "Why is Hanabi-chan upset with you?"
Hinata was gently pulled forward by her fingers. She hadn't expected a hug. Maybe Hanabi broke him of his touch evasion while she was gone. His hug was shaky and awkward, but she appreciated it nonetheless.
Neji released her silently and answered her question. "I seemed to have embarrassed her in front of a boy I was unaware she was fond of."
"Oh." Hinata cringed. "You insulted him?"
Neji nodded with a sigh. "She's too young anyway."
"You won't stop her. Just support her, and if you still have complaints, try more gentle, logical methods rather than arguing with her or scolding her. You both get frustrated quickly when you argue." Neji nodded.
"I'm glad to see you, Hinata-sama," Neji told her.
"I'll be here for the week, so go ahead to bed." Hinata smiled. Neji obeyed as he wished her goodnight and closed the door.
"Odd family you have," Kankuro mumbled. Hinata gave him a look. "Okay, I don't have much room to talk."
Hinata sighed at the door to all her nightmares.
"Ready?" Kankuro asked.
"No," Hinata opened the door to the Hyuga council.
Hinata focused on her goal as the meeting went on. She couldn't treat this council like the Suna one, but she refused to bend under them as she did before. Kankuro sitting next to her helped immensely. She kept her head high, and the council noticed.
Some seemed impressed. Others disliked it and made more pointed remarks about what she said or how she said it. She was getting irritated with their lack of respect in ways she never had before. She never realized that once you had respect from people, it was more apparent when people didn't respect you.
Kankuro was casual when he spoke, prideful when he spoke of his village, and defensive of his culture. He made a good partner against their more irrational ideas.
When the meeting was over, she stepped out with him, and as soon as the door was closed, she sighed heavily.
"I need a drink," Kankuro mumbled.
"I think I'll have coffee," Hinata added.
"This sake is weird." Kankuro looked into his cup.
"You choose a favored one," Hinata noted.
"I thought it was just the name." Kankuro from his cup. "We don't have flavored sake in Suna." Hinata curled her fingers around her warm coffee. Even the steam was helping her nerves. "How did you live with that."
"I didn't. I suffered." Hinata replied solemnly.
"I'm not surprised you were willing to ship off so easily." Kankuro sighed.
"Well, actually, I didn't think about the idea that I would have to move villages when I agreed to marry Gaara," Hinata admitted.
"Still, I mean, my childhood wasn't great, but I could put up with the violence and distance. I don't see how you can stand the constant undeserved disappointment from people you were forced to respect. That's like if you took the violence away from Shukaku and just left the yelling, then make it 24/7. I would have run away to get away from something like that." Kankuro finished his cup and set it aside. "I don't know, joined a criminal organization or something. Anything would be better than being stuck in that hell your whole life."
"More?" Hinata asked.
"No, I think I'm done." Kankuro tipped the empty cup with his finger idly. "Just wanted to knock off the nerves." He sighed. "You know, I'm not so sure that I want this family of yours in our village if they are going to treat you like that."
"Well, most of the branch isn't like the council. I was raised mainly by the care of the branch." Hinata explained.
Kankuro looked out the window. Hinata followed and almost ducked instinctively. Instead, she just flinched as she noticed she was spotted. "What?" He, too, then saw a flash of pink and purple.
"Now, cover your ears." Hinata got up from her seat as the two girls came in and engulfed her.
"Hinata-chan!" They went through similar motions as she had with everyone that saw, a brief explanation of why she was in Konoha and how long. Ino then blinked at her attire.
"This is new." Ino touched her scarf and turned around her. "What happened to your signature jacket?"
"Not really something I can wear in Suna." Hinata let her turn her.
"Suna suits you." Sakura beamed. "I don't think I have ever seen you in a skirt that wasn't for meetings or ceremonies."
"Scarf would be warm, wouldn't it?" Ino prodded.
"No, not this fabric. It's more for shielding your head and face from the elements." Hinata lifted it to show them and glanced back at Kankuro, who was thoroughly amused by her being attacked with questions. At least one of them was having fun.
"You still wear your Konoha forehead protector?" Sakura revealed it under the folds of the scarf.
"She's not married yet." Ino pointed out.